Misplaced Pages

#324675

43-581: Highroads Course was a road-racing circuit used for the Gordon Bennett British Eliminating Trial held in the Isle of Man for the 1904 and 1905 Tourist Trophy Race involving touring automobiles and cars . The events were held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald (the parliament of the Isle of Man). The street circuit course measured 52.15 miles long from the start-line at

86-637: A lengthy circuit of closed public roads, not purpose-built racing circuits. This was true of the Le Mans circuit of the 1906 French Grand Prix, as well as the Targa Florio (run on 93 miles (150 km) of Sicilian roads), the 75 miles (121 km) German Kaiserpreis circuit in the Taunus mountains, the 48 miles (77 km) French circuit at Dieppe, used for the 1907 Grand Prix and, the Isle of Man TT motorcycle road circuit first used in 1907. The exceptions were

129-843: A series called the Formula One world championship sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), while motorcycle road races were organized into the Grand Prix motorcycle racing series and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The success and popularity of road racing has seen the sport spread across the globe with Grand Prix road races having been held on six continents. Other variations of road racing include; open-wheel racing , sports car racing , touring car racing , stock car racing , superbike racing , truck racing , kart racing and endurance racing . The first organized automobile race

172-432: A stand full of spectators, killing 15 and himself. In 1970, Jochen Rindt won the Formula One drivers' championship posthumously, the only man to do so, underlining the continuing risks associated with road racing. The tragedies highlighted the need for improved safety standards for both drivers and spectators; safety would continue to be an issue throughout the 1960s and 1970s. When motorcycle racer Gilberto Parlotti

215-644: Is surrounded by the Dourdan forest ( Forêt de Dourdan ). Dourdan has an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ). The average annual temperature in Dourdan is 11.4 °C (52.5 °F). The average annual rainfall is 654.2 mm (25.76 in) with May as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 19.5 °C (67.1 °F), and lowest in January, at around 4.2 °C (39.6 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Dourdan

258-585: The Auto-Cycle Union (A.C.U.) stopped issuing permits for races on public roads, a policy that has not changed to this day. Donington Park was the first permanent park circuit in the United Kingdom and held its first motorcycle race in 1931. As automobile and motorcycle technology improved, racers began to achieve higher speeds that caused an increasing number of accidents on roads not designed for motorized vehicles. Public safety concerns ultimately caused

301-814: The British Commonwealth nations grew around races held on paved, public roads such as the Circuit de la Sarthe circuit near the town of Le Mans , France , the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit in Belgium and the Mount Panorama Circuit in Australia. Certain European race circuits were situated in mountainous regions where the topography meant that the roads featured numerous curves and elevation changes, allowing

344-484: The Daytona 200 road race which peaked in 1974 with the victory by 15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini . The dangers associated with the increasing speeds at road races were highlighted by the 1955 Le Mans disaster . With spectators seated near the edges of the circuit, two race cars came into contact causing one of the vehicles to crash into the embankment, where it exploded in a ball of flames and then plowed through

387-620: The Detroit Grand Prix , and the Honda Indy Toronto . The popularity of Formula One and motorcycle Grand Prix racing led to the formation of road racing world championships for other types of vehicles. In 1953, the FIA sanctioned a world championship for sports car racing which combined the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Mille Miglia, the 12 Hours of Sebring , the 24 Hours of Spa and the 1000km of

430-729: The Gordon Bennett Trial and was originally restricted to touring automobiles. As the Motor Car Act 1903 placed a speed restriction of 20 mph on automobiles in the United Kingdom, the Secretary of the Automobile Car Club of Britain and Ireland approached the authorities in the Isle of Man for the permission to race automobiles on public roads. The act approved by Tynwald, the Highways (Light Locomotive) Act 1904 , gave permission for

473-661: The House of Orléans . General Auguste Jubé de La Perelle (1765–1824) died in Dourdan. Inhabitants of Dourdan are known as Dourdannais . Two train and RER stations are located in Dourdan: Dourdan and Dourdan-la-Forêt , terminus of one of the branches of the RER C line. The Dourdan SNCF station is on the line going from Paris Gare d'Austerlitz to Vendôme and Châteaudun . Both stations allow passengers to go to Paris and Versailles, with trains leaving every 30 minutes during

SECTION 10

#1732863300325

516-607: The Middle East , Sepang in Malaysia , and Shanghai in China . Dourdan Dourdan ( French pronunciation: [duʁdɑ̃] ) is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France . It is the capital of the historical region of Hurepoix . It is located in the metropolitan area of Paris . Dourdan is located on the river Orge in the western Essonne . The town

559-834: The North West 200 and the Ulster Grand Prix . In Formula One, street circuits have made a comeback with the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit and the Baku City Circuit joining the Circuit de Monaco as part of the world championship. There are no street circuits being used in MotoGP racing. . In North America, racing on public streets takes place at the Grand Prix of Long Beach , the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg ,

602-530: The Quarterbridge area in the town of Douglas . The circuit was based on a number of public roads including: The highest point of the course was at Brandywell on the primary A18 Mountain Road measuring a spot height of 422 metres (1,384 feet) above sea level. 54°14′47.47″N 4°27′57.18″W  /  54.2465194°N 4.4658833°W  / 54.2465194; -4.4658833 For the 1906 Tourist Trophy Race

645-524: The 1910s, the Elgin National Road Races held on public roads around Elgin, Illinois attracted competitors from around the country and drew large crowds of spectators. The first 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race was held in 1923. The Automobile Racing Club of America was founded in 1933 and became the Sports Car Club of America in 1944. The great majority of road races were run over

688-531: The 52.15 mile Highroads Course for the 1904 Gordon Bennett Car Trial. 54°10′18″N 4°29′31″W  /  54.17167°N 4.49194°W  / 54.17167; -4.49194 Road racing Road racing's origins were centered in Western Europe and Great Britain as motor vehicles became more common in the early 20th century. After the Second World War, automobile road races were organized into

731-557: The FIM. Another motorcycle racing incident occurred at Monza during the 1973 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix when a racing accident claimed the lives of world champion Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini . After the von Trips accident in 1961, the Monza Circuit had been lined with steel barriers as a result of demands by automobile racers. Most auto racers believed steel barriers would improve safety for auto racers and spectators, but they had

774-534: The Highroad course was amended to a distance of 40.38 miles to prevent disruption to railway services. The start was moved from Quarterbridge to the road junction of the A2 Quarterbridge Road/Alexander Drive adjacent to the property called 'Woodlands' in the town of Douglas. Again the course was based on a number of public roads closed for racing: Motor racing began on the Isle of Man in 1904 with

817-453: The Isle of Man TT, lost their world championship status due to their considerable safety risk, their popularity continued to flourish leading to a branch of road racing known as Traditional Road Racing . Traditional road racing on closed public roads is popular in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and parts of Europe. The Duke Road Racing Rankings was established in 2002 to establish rider classifications in traditional road racing events such as

860-540: The Middle Ages, it became the residence of Hugh the Great , father of Hugh Capet ; he died there in 956. Dourdan became a royal city in 987, when Hugh Capet was crowned king. In 1220, King Philip II Augustus of France built a new castle; its most famous owners were: Blanche de Castille , Louis d'Évreux , Jean, duc de Berry , François de Lorraine, duc de Guise , Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully , Anne of Austria and

903-672: The Nurburgring . NASCAR held its first road race in 1957 at the Watkins Glen International circuit with Buddy Baker as the winner. The FIA launched the European Touring Car Championship in 1963. The FIA created the International Karting Commission (CIK) in 1962 and, in 1964, the first CIK Karting World Championship was won by Guido Sala . Karting has become a significant step in

SECTION 20

#1732863300325

946-630: The United States was typically oval track racing on paved tracks such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile track, or on dirt tracks using widely available horse racing circuits. Automobile dirt track racing would develop into stock car racing . American racing also branched out into drag racing . Road racing traditions in Europe, South America, Great Britain and

989-644: The creation of sinuous and undulating race courses such as the Nürburgring in the Eifel mountains of Germany and the Circuit de Charade in the Chaîne des Puys in the Massif Central of France. These circuits presented such a challenge that they were both feared and respected by racers. The 20.8 km (12.9 mi) long Nurburgring with more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) of elevation change from its lowest to highest points,

1032-557: The crowd of spectators. In addition to the driver of the race car, 83 spectators were killed and 120 were injured. Auto racing was temporarily banned in several countries after the Le Mans disaster until safety was improved for spectators. Switzerland would not allow circuit racing until the Zürich ePrix in 2018. The Formula One championship experienced its worst tragedy during the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, when driver Wolfgang von Trips lost control of his Ferrari and crashed into

1075-510: The day and every 15 minutes during rush hour. An express bus line connects Dourdan to Massy and Orsay using A10 highway every 5 minutes during rush hour and every hour during the day. Construction of the church began in 1150 and was completed by the end of the 12th century. In 1428, during the Hundred Years' War , its upper part was badly damaged by the troops of the Earl of Salisbury , and it

1118-601: The development of road racers including Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton . The European Truck Racing Championship was founded in 1985. A Superbike World Championship for road-going production motorcycles was created in 1988 . As road racing grew in popularity it eventually expanded across the globe with Grand Prix road races having been held on six continents. Expansion of the Formula One and MotoGP series has resulted in many dedicated tracks being built, like in Qatar in

1161-679: The exception of the Monza circuit, all the Grand Prix races were held on street circuits . The Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus was renamed the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile in 1946 and, plans were developed for a road racing world championship. In 1950 , the FIA created the Formula One world championship, a competition of seven rounds that included the Indianapolis 500. A Formula I manufacturers' championship

1204-547: The geometric pattern and isolated donjon was similar to that of the castle of the Louvre . A near identical castle is found at Seringes-et-Nesles , Aisne . The castle became the property of Jean de Berry in 1385. There was a siege during the French Wars of Religion , stables were built in this period. Some figures who spent some time there include Jeanne II, Countess of Burgundy , and La Hire , friend of Joan of Arc . The donjon

1247-421: The middle of each side, and two, on the east side, flank the gate. A deep stone-lined dry moat follows the outline of the castle. The donjon, the major defensive component of the castle, measures approximately 30 metres in height and 13.6 metres in diameter. It is the typical of the donjons being built by Philip Augustus at this time (e.g. Rouen ), and by French nobility through the 13th century. The conception of

1290-669: The number of road racing events on public roads in Europe to decrease over the years. Notable exceptions are the Mille Miglia which was allowed to continue until 1957 and, the Pau Grand Prix which has been held on the city streets of Pau, France since 1933. After the First World War, automobile and motorcycle road racing competitions in Europe and in North America went in different directions. Automobile and motorcycle racing in

1333-749: The number of safety personnel required. These changes saw a dramatic decrease in deaths and accidents. By the 1980s, motorcycle Grand Prix and the Formula One races were held on purpose built race circuits with the exception of the Monaco Grand Prix held on the city streets of Monaco. Street circuits such as the Montjuïc circuit and the Opatija Circuit with their numerous unmovable roadside obstacles, such as trees, stone walls, lampposts and buildings, were gradually removed from world championship competition. Although events held on closed public roads such as

Highroads Course - Misplaced Pages Continue

1376-487: The opposite effect for motorcyclists and proved fatal for Saarinen and Pasolini. The dangers of street circuits was further exposed at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix held on the twisty, tree-lined Montjuich circuit in Barcelona. The racing drivers found that the circuit's safety barriers had been shoddily installed and threatened to strike if the barriers were not brought up to standard. Under pressure from race organizers,

1419-651: The race was started only to be stopped after 29 laps when the car of Rolf Stommelen plowed into the crowd, killing four spectators. By the late 1970s, the popularity of Grand Prix road racing attracted corporate sponsors and lucrative television contracts which, led to an increased level of professionalism. Road racers organized to demand that stricter safety regulations be adopted by sanctioning bodies in relation to race track safety and race organizers requirements. Race circuits that had originally been public roads were widened and modified to include chicanes and run-off areas while, some circuits were shortened to reduce

1462-632: The steeply banked egg-shaped near oval circuit of Brooklands in England , completed in 1906, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , and the oval, banked speedways constructed in Europe at Monza in 1922 and at Montlhéry in 1924. Road racing on public roads was banned in Great Britain in 1925 when a spectator was injured at the Kop Hill Climb event. The Royal Automobile Club (R.A.C.) and

1505-620: Was 41.6 °C (106.9 °F) on 25 July 2019; the coldest temperature ever recorded was −16.2 °C (2.8 °F) on 8 January 2010. The origin of the name comes credibly from "Dour" derived of the Celtic root "Dor" which means "water" or "river", the same origin as for the English city of Dover . The radical "dan" could have meant "hill". Dourdan ( Dordincum ) developed during the Gallo-Roman period as an important center of production of ceramics. In

1548-543: Was begun in 1955. The success of American racers such as Phil Hill and Dan Gurney in Formula One in the late 1950s sparked to a renewal of interest in road racing in the United States and, led to the construction of new road racing circuits such as Riverside International Raceway , Road America and Laguna Seca . The 1964 United States motorcycle Grand Prix was held at the Daytona International Speedway and led to increased international prominence for

1591-478: Was formed by several European automobile clubs. In 1904 the FIM created the international cup for motorcycles. The first international motorcycle road race took place in 1905 at Dourdan , France. After disagreeing with Bennett Cup organizers over regulations limiting the number of entrants, the French automobile manufacturers responded in 1906 by organizing the first French Grand Prix race held at Le Mans. During

1634-598: Was held on July 22, 1894, from Paris to Rouen , France. The first held in the United States was a 54-mile competition from Chicago to Evanston , Illinois and return, held on November 27, 1895. By 1905, the Gordon Bennett Cup , organized by the Automobile Club de France , was considered the most important race in the world. In 1904, the Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus

1677-430: Was killed while competing in the 1972 Isle of Man TT , it sparked a rider's boycott of the event led by multi-time world champion, Giacomo Agostini , a close friend of Parlotti. Once the most prestigious race of the year, the event was increasingly boycotted by the top riders, and in 1976, the Isle of Man TT finally succumbed to pressure for increased safety in racing events and had its world championship status revoked by

1720-423: Was nicknamed "The Green Hell" by Jackie Stewart , due to its challenging nature. The sinuous track layout of the Charade circuit caused some drivers like Jochen Rindt in the 1969 French Grand Prix to complain of motion sickness , and wear open face helmets just in case. In 1949 the FIM introduced the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship with the 1949 Isle of Man TT being the inaugural event. With

1763-411: Was not restored before the end of the 15th century. It was again damaged by the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion (1562–1598). In 1641, the asymmetric spires were constructed and, in 1689, the chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary ( chapelle de la Vierge ) was built, increasing the length of the building from 36 to 50 metres. During the French Revolution of 1789, the church was again damaged. It

Highroads Course - Misplaced Pages Continue

1806-412: Was still a royal prison during the 17th century. There is a museum of local history. It was built in 1836 and is located in the downtown. It replaced the former hall from the thirteenth century. There is a floor to remind the former hall. The architect was Lucien-Tirte van Clemputte. This is an old Royal forest where the kings of France used to hunt, covering a surface of 17 square kilometres. The forest

1849-443: Was turned into a Temple of Reason ( Temple de la Raison victorieuse ), and also a prison until 1795. Built at the request of Philip II Augustus at the beginning of the 13th century in the place of a wooden fortress, it is characteristic of the military architecture of this period. The castle is built on a square pattern, with towers at three of the corners and an isolated donjon at the fourth. The walls are punctuated by towers in

#324675